The recently completed Quay Quarter Tower (QQT) spans 89,000 square meters and represents a truly unique architectural achievement. When the project won the bid in 2014, it was considered nearly impossible to realize. Situated on the edge of Sydney’s vibrant Circular Quay, this tower is a transformative upgrade of the existing AMP Centre tower.
Originally built in 1976, the AMP Centre was approaching the end of its lifespan. However, rather than opting for demolition and rebuilding, the project team set an ambitious goal: to maximize reuse of the existing structure and establish a new benchmark for adaptive reuse in high-rise architecture.
This objective has now been realized: QQT retains 65% of the original structural elements—including beams, columns, and slabs—and preserves 95% of the original core. This sustainable approach saved an estimated 7.3 million kilograms of carbon emissions, roughly equivalent to 35,000 flights between Sydney and Melbourne.
Rising 206 meters with 49 stories, the tower consists of five stacked and staggered blocks. The lower levels face the bustling Younge Street and the iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge, while the building slopes eastward with ascending floors, offering panoramic views of the Royal Botanic Gardens and Sydney Opera House.
This complex composition not only enriches the city’s skyline but also allows the tower to meet shading and enclosure requirements specific to the site, all while adding over 45,000 square meters of new floor area.
QQT is designed around the concept of “vertical villages,” focusing on user experience from both inside and outside perspectives. With approximately 10,000 people working and commuting here daily, the scale of the project is significant.
The five volumes of the tower serve as individual hubs, with each floor connected by spiral staircases arranged around a stacked atrium. This design allows natural sunlight to penetrate deep into the 2,000 square meter floor plates.
For tenants requiring flexible floor layouts, removable portable slabs—designed to fit within the building’s elevators—can be installed within the atrium, adapting to evolving spatial needs.
Each module’s outdoor terrace connects directly to the atrium below, allowing occupants to access outdoor spaces without having to exit the building or return to ground level.
Unlike many high-rise towers that isolate their base from street life, QQT challenges this norm by integrating its lobby and market hall into a sloping plaza. This creates an open, multi-level public space that invites and welcomes visitors, enlivening both the tower and the city center.
The QQT design by 3XN won a two-stage international design competition. After securing the project, 3XN and client AMP Capital appointed BVN as the executive architect responsible for the approval process and detailed design development. During construction, BVN transitioned to the contractor Multiplex for document preparation, while 3XN continued as client-side design supervisor, overseeing construction progress.
Project collaborators include ASPECT Studios (landscape architecture), Tom Dixon DRS (interior design for lobby and market hall), and Olafur Eliasson Studio (public art contributions at the tower’s base).
Project Drawings
△ Basement Plan
△ Basement Plan
△ Section Diagram
△ Section Diagram
△ Tower Floor Plan
△ Machine Room Layout
△ Site Boundary
△ Tower Enclosure Structure
△ Optimized Volume
△ Horizontal Division
△ Tower Facade
△ Tower Plan
△ Diverse Volumes
△ Terrace
△ Market Hall
△ Public Facility Market Floor
△ Stacked Central Platform
Project Information
Architect: 3XN
Area: 102,000 m²
Year: 2022
Photographers: Adam Mørk, Sara Vita, Ethan Rohloff
3XN Partner & Founder: Kim Herforth Nielsen
3XN Core Design & Execution Team: Fred Holt
3XN Core Design Team: Jeanette Hansen, Audun Opdal
Design Phase Core Team: Louise Villumsen, Morten Norman Lund, Oskar Nordström, Sebastian le Dantec Reinhardt, Torsten Wang, Gry Kjaer
Design & Execution Phase Core Team: Alyssa Murasaki Saltzgaber
Executive Core Team: Torsten Wang, Jeppe Kongstad Hjort
Design Team: Alvin Kung, Andrew Le, Carlos Ramos Seidenfaden, Henrik Rømer Kania, Jes Tønsgaard, Kasia Stachura, Mads Herskind Møller, Maria Tkacova, Martin Rejnholt Frederiksen, Morten Andersen, Olaf Kunert, Rasmus Møller, Sam Sweeney
Function: Office & Retail
Engineer: Oyana
Landscape Design: Aopai Landscape Design (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd., Shanghai Branch
Facade Consultants: BG&E + ADG
Public Art: Studio Olafur Eliasson, Studio Other Spaces
Partner: BVN
General Contractor: Multiplex
Location: Sydney, Australia
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